Jordan says block was 'just instinct'

PLAYA VISTA – The Clippers were back at work Tuesday morning, just hours after coming off the road with a victory, handing the Utah Jazz its first home loss of the season.

DeAndre Jordan's rejection of an Al Jefferson shot from the lane, which preserved a fourth-quarter comeback for a 105-104 victory Monday at Salt Lake City, remained the talk of the team.

"It was huge," forward Blake Griffin said.

"It won the game," Coach Vinny Del Negro said.

"Really, it's just instinct," said Jordan, the fifth-year center who's still only 24, and continues to grow his game by leaps and bounds. "It's my rotation (switching from Utah's Paul Millsap, who made the pass, to confront Jefferson). I was just lucky to be able to make a play on the ball."

Del Negro said that "Matt (Barnes) kind of got tripped up, he (Jordan) stayed with the play, then D.J. rotated."

Victories at Utah used to be rare for the Clippers; Monday's was their second consecutive, for the first time since 1980, when the Los Angeles franchise was San Diego-based. It's a sign of the way the Clippers have changed in recent years that quality, not just quantity, is now an issue.

"I was pleased we finally showed up in the second half," said Del Negro, whose team trailed the Jazz by seven at halftime, and by 14 late in the third quarter. "As bad as we played at the start, I was happy we were still within striking distance at halftime."

Jordan said the Clippers need to "play as desperate as we do in the fourth quarter, when we're down, for the whole 48 minutes."

PROJECT ODOM: ONGOING

The Clippers (10-6) have won three in a row going into tonight's home game against Dallas, all since veteran guard Chauncey Billups returned to the lineup from his Feb. 6 left Achilles injury.

The last time they came off the road, it was on three-game losing streak that grew to four with a Staples Center loss to New Orleans.

Coinciding with the return of Billups has been the improved play of Lamar Odom, who got off to a sluggish start to his second stint as a Clipper, but has been instrumental in the past two victories.

"I think I just want Lamar to stay the course right now," Del Negro said. "He's in here early, working out, he stays late, working out.

"He's grinding it out. He's got a ways to go, and it's only going to get better if he stays with the process."

Jordan said Odom "is coming on, he's going hard at it. He's starting to get more aggressive on offense, which we all want him to be."